U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,386 discloses and claims an electrical connector clip which is intended for mounting on a panel-like member such as a circuit board and which serves to connect connectors on a film or in a cable to conductors on the circuit board. The connector clip comprises a rectangular clip bar having spaced-apart cantilever springs extending from one of its side edges. These springs are reversely bent adjacent to the one side edge and extend from the bent portions diagonally towards the conductors on the surface of the circuit board. Each spring is resiliently biased against a conductor when the clip is mounted on the circuit board so that a cable or film can be inserted between the springs and the surface of the circuit board and the springs will press the film conductors against the circuit board conductors. The connector clip shown in the above identified application is a zero insertion force device in that a specialized tool is required to raise the springs away from the surface of the circuit board when the cable or film is inserted or withdrawn from beneath the springs.
The zero insertion force feature of the clip shown in the above identified application is highly desirable for the reason that the springs can be designed to produce high contact forces and the conductors on the film are not damaged when the film is inserted beneath the springs notwithstanding the high contact forces. The requirement of a specialized tool to raise the springs from the surface of the circuit board is desirable under many circumstances for the reason that the need for such a tool discourages unauthorized tampering with the circuitry on the circuit board by unqualified persons. However, there are other circumstances where there is no requirement for a specialized tool and the requirement may in fact be undesirable. The present invention is directed to the achievement of a connecting means and a connector clip, of a general class described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,386, which has integral unloading means for the springs and which does not therefore require a specialized tool.
A connector clip in accordance with the present invention comprises a one-piece stamped and formed member having a clip bar and having cantilever springs extending from one side edge of the clip bar. The springs are reversely bent and have spring arm portions which extend towards, and are resiliently biased against, the circuit board conductors when the clip is mounted on the circuit board, the contact areas being beneath the clip bar. Each spring has an end portion which extends from the contact area diagonally away from the surface of the circuit board and beyond the other side edge of the clip bar. A lifting bar is provided at the ends of the springs so that the springs can be raised from the surface of the circuit board by merely moving the lifting bar away from the surface of the circuit board.